Hershey's 5 Minute Dark Chocolate Cake and Cocoa Fudge Frosting

Okay, let me start out by saying that this cake is AMAZING. 

Not just good. Not even delicious. It is AMAZING. 

This is the recipe my grandma always uses to make our birthday cake. And my sister and I always request it. When she gave me a copy, I felt like I had discovered the Ark of the Covenant or the Holy Grail. After all, this is THE cake. The magic cake. The cake that never disappoints, never fails. 

I was shocked at how easy this cake is to make! I kept thinking that I must be doing something wrong. There is no way that this cake is just dumping some ingredients in a bowl, mixing it up, and putting it in a pan. 

But I was not wrong. I have made this cake countless times since I received the recipe, and it has never let me down. Neither has the frosting, which really does taste like fudge. 

Make this cake tonight! You probably have everything you need right in your pantry!



Hershey's 5 Minute Dark Chocolate Cake

1 3/4 c. flour
2 c. granulated sugar
3/4 c. cocoa 
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt

2 eggs
1 c. milk
1/2 c. oil
2 tsp. vanilla

1 c. boiling water


Combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Add the wet ingredients EXCEPT for the water. Beat at medium speed for two minutes. Stir in the water, making sure to use the lowest setting on your mixer. 

Pour into a buttered and floured pan (can be Bundt, 9"x13", or 2 9" round pans). Bake at 350 degrees for 40 - 45 minutes for a Bundt pan, 30 - 35 minutes for round pans, or 30 - 40 minutes for 9"x13" pan, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Cocoa Fudge Frosting

3 1/2 c. confectioner's sugar (I sift this, just to make sure there are no lumps)

1/2 c. butter

1/2 c. cocoa

6 Tbsp. milk

1 tsp. vanilla 

Sift sugar into mixing bowl. In a small saucepan, melt butter at low heat. Stir in cocoa until completely combined. Add chocolate and butter mixture, milk, and vanilla to sugar. Beat until spreading consistency. 

Perfection!!! 

Epiphanies

Those of you who have read a few of my posts on here probably know that one of my main objectives in life is to sell our house and move somewhere that has some property. I want to homestead and work hard and learn lost skills that I wish Mimi and Bopie (my mom's mom and dad) were still alive to teach me. I am on a constant search for properties, even though our house sits unsold. It is almost an obsession. Almost. If it were not for my praying and desire to be content, it would absolutely be an obsession. 

Well, I was thinking about a new property I found on Craigslist the other day while I was making dinner. It is a trailer on 33 acres of land. About 2/3 of the land is wetlands, with the rest of it remaining as wooded/cleared land. I thought that maybe we could live in the trailer while we built a house on our own, somewhere in one of the small spanses of non-wetland. 

Then, for whatever reason, it hit me. Right while I was looking down at the counter. That was not the place for us. That was not where we would live. We would not live in a trailer or build our own house. God would give us a house, already built. A farmhouse of some kind, with a barn of some sort, and some land. Not tons, not as much as I think I would like, but maybe 5 or 10 acres. Enough. For a moment, I even thought I knew what it would look like, but I still can't be sure. It looked similar to a house we looked at in the past, so I may have just been referencing that in my subconscious. 

Now, today, my dad told me about a place that one of his friends owns. How his friend purposely called him just to talk about Shawn and me buying this house. A farmhouse. With a barn. And a shed. On 10 acres. At a ridiculously low price. 

Old me would be excited. Old me would be planning. Old me would be trying to find a way to get in there, despite the existing tenants, and measure and plan. Old me would be running numbers, blowing up Pinterest, breathing life into this possibility. 

New me won't do it. New me is just praying. New me is shoving it to the back of my subconscious. I pass this house every day. Will I think about it when I pass? Yes. I can't help it. But I will pray that I can leave it there as I continue on toward work. I don't want to invest in a dream that is not right for us. I want what God has, and I don't want anything else. I just don't. 

Baby Registry Guide

When my husband and I were expecting our first child, I remember feeling a lot of different things: elation, anxiety, love, fear, excitement, anxiety, hope, fear. But nothing brought me frustration until we went to register for our baby. 

First of all, as a new mother-to-be, I had no idea what I would need. There were no other babies on my side of the family, and it had been several years since anyone on Shawn's side had registered for a baby. I felt completely lost. Besides a few obvious basics, I didn't have the slightest idea what I should be getting. 

After this very frustrating experience, I swore that I would not let this happen to anyone else, if I could help it. I compiled a list of recommendations and have shared it with many people since then. Hopefully, it will be helpful to you as well!

First basic suggestion is to register somewhere accessible to everyone. For me, that place is Target. Almost everyone has a Target within reasonable driving distance, and their items are generally affordable. It is always difficult for me when expectant parents register at Babies R Us. The nearest store is an hour away from my house, and their items are always much more expensive. If you really want to get what is on your registry, register somewhere that gives people the opportunity to pick things they can afford, and where they can go see the items in person - especially if you have older relatives or family friends. 

Also - and I say this with love - please be realistic with your registry. It's okay to register for a few bigger items (some family members may want to go in together on that gift, or sometimes parents want to purchase a more expensive item, since it is their grandchild), but remember that it is not necessary to register for 100% organic cotton sheets or a $70 hamper. If you are of a higher socioeconomic class and you know that your friends and family are completely willing and able to buy those items, please go ahead and register for what you like. But if your group of loved ones is more diverse, keep them in mind as you select items. Your baby won't know the difference and after you have washed them a few times, you will forget that your sheets aren't 100% organic. 

Okay - now the list! :D

Baby Registry Guide

1) Boppy feeding pillow - even if you're not breastfeeding, it's a great way to snuggle, and it also helps support them as they learn to sit up. Also make sure to register for an extra slipcover.

2) lots of BUTTON-UP pjs (newborns HATE clothes going over their heads, and the weight is perfect for inside - not too warm, not too cool)

3) Pack n Play (we have one with the bassinet and changing table, and it was awesome, especially for the first six months); also sheets for the Pack n Play mattress

4) Bumbo - she won't be able to use it until she can almost sit up, but once she can, she'll love it!

5) A Medela pump, if able to breastfeed. They are the best and last the longest. If you use bottles also, we used Nuk and loved them. They work WITH breastfeeding instead of trying to replace it. The age is right on the bottle package. If you are using formula, my brother-in-law recommends Dr. Brown's bottles. Their design is supposed to cut down on gas and spit-ups. 

6) A diaper bag with lots of pockets, especially on the sides

7) A regular monitor is all you need (no television monitor); we got one for $20, and it's been fine

8)8) Pacifiers - Nuk makes those, also, and I think they are the most natural and gentle, and they also don't interfere with breastfeeding; your baby may not use one, but it's nice to have it in case she does. Also register for a pacifier clip so that if she spits it out, it won't fall on the floor.

9) Diaper Genie Elite - a MUST!!! register for lots of the inserts, too

10) crib sheets (at least two, maybe three), crib mattress pad, changing pad, changing pad cover

11) Carseat/jogging stroller combo. We registered for the Baby Trend one at Target. It's gray and not at all cutesy. The tires are real tires, not plastic, and it's a smoooth ride.

12) Probably a swing. Allie only liked hers for a couple of months, but some kids love them. Get one where the seat comes detached and you can use it on its own as a bouncy seat, and also one that vibrates. 

13) SWADDLER!!! Allie LOVED being swaddled. We used Sleep Sack swaddlers. They are this sack that you zip the baby in and then velcro the swaddling pieces over them - much easier than trying to mess with an actual blanket, which they can always bust out of. Register for a newborn and the next larger size. These swaddlers are really easy to use. Some of them are complicated and the babies can bust out really easily. Allie is really strong and crafty, but even she couldn't bust out of this one 

:)
14) As far as toys, keep them basic. Baby won't be ready developmentally for anything that makes noise or lights up or anything. The whole world is stimulation for her, so her toys just need to be soft and simple. Sophie the giraffe is awesome, but she probably won't use it until she's a few months old. 

15) A few storage baskets. They can be used for lots of things - toys, diapers, etc. - and can be put anywhere you need them. We have found them very helpful!

16) A hamper. I would recommend a small one so that you do a few smaller loads. It helps keep the dresser stocked.  

:)
17) Burp cloths. They are always helpful! Just register for the Gerber plain cloth diapers. They come in a big package, and we used them as burp clothes. They are great, absorbent, and even if you go through a bunch in one day, you still have a bunch more left to use. 

18) A high chair. We have one where the top seat detaches, it reclines, and becomes a booster seat. It's awesome! 

19) A couple of towels and five or six washcloths. People love to give you 100 of these, but you really don't need that many. You'll be throwing them in the wash.

20) A baby bathtub. We have one that switches to letting her recline on her back to now, where she is sitting up.

21) Mesh bumper pad. These provide protection from the crib rails, but are totally breathable, which helps keep baby safe. 

22) Strap covers for the carseat. Those straps have to be so tight, and they can really cut in to baby's skin!

23) Lanolin - only if you are breastfeeding. This is a must!! 

24) Baby body wash/shampoo combo, powder, lotion. 

25) A baby grooming kit - usually come with comb, brush, nail clippers

"Homestead" - Hoping and Dreaming

It may seem strange that I call this blog The Sufficient Homestead when we do not, in fact, live on a homestead. Not even close. We live on a corner lot in the village of Broadalbin. Adorable, yes. Homestead, no.

So why choose that as a blog name? Why label myself and my life as something that, in no way, seems to fit?

Part of it is for myself. I want to live on a homestead someday. I want to live in a place where we can have goats and chickens and cut our own wood and plant a big garden and have a beehive and do all of the things that make life a more authentic experience. Maybe, hopefully, even build our own home. And I mean us, literally, building the house from the ground up. However, as of this moment, I am not close to that. At all. Our house is listed For Sale by Owner on Craigslist through the winter, and I have had a couple of dim-looking little nibbles on it. Nothing more. So, I don't know how far in the distance our homestead is. But I keep looking nonetheless.

Another reason I named it this is because I am trying to put some of the homestead practices into our life right now. This year, I am learning how to crochet. I already know how to sew. I will also be working on my bread baking, and hopefully expanding our garden in one way or another (it may have to be in containers because of our limited sunlight situation, but I'm still hoping!). So, while I may not be on a technical homestead, I am already trying to begin a change in my mindset.

Lastly, I am trying to broaden my own definition of homestead to help soothe my often-discontent heart. Maybe a homestead can be people doing the best they can with what they have. Maybe it can be a family trying to hearken back to yesteryear in whatever way is practical for where they live. Maybe it can be a woman reaching through the depths of decades to the time of her grandmother, when women worked just as hard as their farmer husbands and sleep was an earned right after a day of hard work, not something to be monitored by a fitness tracker.

Maybe it can be a small part of where I am right now.

Dinner Success!!! Mini Chicken Pot Pies

Now, I don't know about the rest of you, but with a husband and two small children in my house, dinner preparation is not for the faint of heart. There are many evenings when Shawn smiles politely and Allie and Mac plain refuse to eat what I make. It doesn't taste bad; it's just not a home run. 

Well, last night was a home run. And a surprising one at that. I saw Mini Chicken Pot Pies on Pinterest and thought, That looks good. I bet my family would like that. So, a few ingredients later, I decided to make them. 

Success!!! Allie ate them, Mac ate them, and Shawn ate four! I ate two, and was quite satisfied. Even though they are called mini, they really aren't particularly small. They bake up really nicely, and the biscuits are a perfect texture. I was worried that the bottom might not get done enough with the filling and all, but they baked exactly right. I served the pot pies with a salad, and we had a great dinner! I had leftover filling, which I froze for another time, so if you bought another can of biscuits, you could easily make 10 or 12 of these (if you have a bigger family, or bigger eaters than a 3 1/2 year old and an 18 month old). 

This recipe is from Pillsbury Grands website. I did alter a couple of things, which I have noted. 

Grands! Mini Chicken Pot Pies

2

cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed (next time, I will remove the green beans from the mix - I didn't love their flavor in this - and cut up some canned potatoes to add instead, since they are already soft)

1

cup diced cooked chicken (I used canned chicken breast, and it made the process a lot easier!)

1

can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup

1

can (16.3 oz) Pillsbury™ Grands!™ Flaky Layers refrigerated biscuits 

Heat oven to 375°F. In medium bowl, combine vegetables, chicken and soup; mix well. Roll each biscuit into 5 1/2-inch round. (Make sure to flour your board, otherwise things will get sticky!) Place 1 round in each of 8 greased regular-size muffin cups. Firmly press in bottom and up side, forming 3/4-inch rim. Spoon a generous 1/3 cup chicken mixture into each. Pull edges of dough over filling toward center; pleat and pinch dough gently to hold in place. (You can be creative with this - as long as most of the filling is covered, it will be fine!) Bake at 375 degrees F 20 to 22 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from pan.

A delicious mini-masterpiece and crowd pleaser, all in one! 

Barbie Baby Shower

My sister, Merilee, gave birth to a beautiful baby girl last Monday, January 5. Magdelaina Grace joined our family at 12:20 am and we could not be happier! Merilee and her husband, Mike, are thrilled to welcome their first child and she is absolutely perfect in every single way. It is a feeling like no other when I hold this little girl. I have held other people's babies before, obviously, but this is my sister's baby and it's like being on another planet. 

Merilee knew she was having a girl, so when my mom and I were planning her baby shower, we knew we would be working within that realm. My sister has always loved Barbies, so we decided to throw her a vintage Barbie baby shower. And since this is the theme Merilee ended up doing in Laina's room, it worked out perfectly!

My mom was nervous with this theme because she didn't know how we would pull it off. It's not like you can head into Target and find vintage Barbie plates and cups and banners. After a very productive Pinterest search, I told her that the main thing would be to focus on the colors and the rest would just be accents. The cake also played a big part in setting the theme. 

We had the shower at the Presbyterian Church fellowship hall in Broadalbin. This is the church where Merilee and Mike got married, so it felt very fitting to have it there. Pastor Linda is so accommodating and helpful, and it feels very homey. Also, it's just plain beautiful! This made it much easier to decorate and put less pressure on us, because we knew that the room could stand on its own; even if we didn't put up a single decoration, it still would have been beautiful. 

One of the biggest factors of any shower is the food. We decided on appetizers and desserts because those are Merilee's two favorite parts of any meal. (Mine, too - especially the desserts!) My mom, her best friend Rose, and I did the majority of the food (my Aunt Linda and Aunt Jeannie also brought a dish). We originally had a much bigger menu, but decided to simplify it after we started really going through each item. We found that, the more we simplified, the more the event started to come together. Simplifying the menu also allowed us to focus on the other elements, like the decorations and the centerpieces. 

Our appetizers were very basic: sausage and cheese wontons, sausage balls, buffalo chicken dip, spinach dip, crackers and cheese, grape salad, veggies and dip. We wanted things that were delicious and fun, but not too filling. Must save room for dessert!! 

Our desserts were also pretty basic, and we didn't make everything ourselves. We took a page from Ina Garten's book and purchased several things, then gussied them up a little bit. We made the Never Fail Fudge, Outrageous Brownies, and pumpkin dip with ginger snaps. We purchased butter cookies that we then dipped in pink melting chocolate, the assorted fancy cookies, and Haribo raspberries (Merilee's favorite candy in the world). 

The cake was one of Merilee's favorite parts. We spent $100 on both cakes, but it was her one big request: an awesome cake. Kandy, our baker, was so amazing. It was her idea to make two cakes - one small one, just for Merilee, made with chocolate cake and peanut butter frosting, and the large cake. We were so thrilled with how they both turned out. 

As far as decorations, we really focused on using consistent colors (white, pink, and black) and accents (framed pictures, monograms, Barbie silhouette) to help set the theme. 

We came up with our centerpieces the day before. We realized when we were decorating that we had completely forgotten to plan for that. Fortunately, I had brought along a box of Mason jars and my mom had a box full of gorgeous dried hydrangeas that Rose gave her, as well as some fake rosebuds, so we improvised! 

Another element that helped add to the decor were the paper flowers I made. I am absolutely in LOVE with these! I have used them at all of my children's birthday parties, and I wanted to use them here as well. They are so inexpensive and easy to make, and if you're willing to devote a few hours to making them, they add such a great color and interest. I just make mine while Shawn and I are watching TV at night after my children have gone to sleep. 

My mom and I were both nervous, hoping that we could pull this off, but the shower went off without a hitch and Merilee had a great time (which was what really mattered to us). A beautiful day celebrating a beautiful mom-to-be! 

Me, my sister Merilee, and our best friend, Janelle (who traveled from Philadelphia to be there!)

Birthday Breakfast

This past Saturday, we had a birthday breakfast for my husband. I LOVE having breakfast birthday parties as opposed to parties in the late afternoon or evening. It's so much nicer and less stressful, for several reasons: 

1) Easy Menu

What could be easier than breakfast? I do a simple quick quiche, Ree Drummond's Baked French Toast and Best Coffee Cake. Ever. (both easy, amazing recipes that make breakfast guests very, very happy), link sausage, fruit, and cheese danish. Plus, coffee and juice. Everything except the quiche was made in advance. I even cooked the sausage thirty minutes before the party started and just kept it warm in the oven. 

2) No Frills

I set out a buffet in our kitchen, made a drink station over on the island, and put forks, spoons and the maple syrup in mason jars. There's no need to worry about appetizers or timing. When I invite people, I tell them we're eating at 10 am, and that's what we do. 

3) Fresh Guests

At 10 am, everyone is in a great mood. The guests have had enough time to have their first cup of coffee, get dressed, relax a little bit, and head out to the party. There was lots of laughing and conversation around the table. They aren't drained from a full day of work or errands or house cleaning, and I'm not interrupting their valuable Saturday by having the party at 4:00. No one was checking their watch, wondering how soon they could go home so they could collapse into bed. Most people left around noon and could enjoy the rest of their day. And...

4) Work First, Rest Later

So can I! Now, yes, I was up until about 11:30 on Friday night prepping and making the food. But, on Saturday morning, I didn't really have to start much in the kitchen until about 8:30. During that Friday night prep, I not only made as much as I could ahead of time (Ree recommends making her Baked French Toast the night before), I also set out the entire drink station (except for the actual juice and coffee, of course), forks and spoons, napkins, and made sure the sink was clean. I ran the dishwasher so I could unload it in the morning and have plenty of room for the dirty serving dishes. So once Saturday morning came, I had to assemble the quiche (I got all of the ingredients pre-measured/prepped on Friday night), put the french toast in the oven, and brown the sausage, but that was it for the food. I even made sure the fruit was already in its serving bowl before I went to bed on Friday. Once my guests left around noon, I did some cleaning, and then I could relax. 

5) Less Pressure for the Star of the Show

My husband does not love all of the attention at a birthday party. Especially during the opening of the presents. It can be a little stressful, as guests stare at you, seemingly with the hope that you will love this gift they have selected for you. While Shawn still opened gifts at his party, it was much more relaxed. We didn't even do a cake for him, since we had already done that at two other occasions (his actual birthday at our house and his birthday dinner at my mom's). We did do an impromptu rendition of "Happy Birthday" and even that was more fun, as it just occurred spontaneously. 

So, for your next gathering, consider a breakfast party. It doesn't have to be fancy. My guests brought their slippers and bright eyes, and as long as the food was hot and hearty and the coffee pot was full, they were thrilled. Of course, my guests were my family, so they were just thrilled that we were all together. But even if your guests aren't family, they will be happy - maybe even grateful - to be at a gathering where gathering is actually the focus. We had a blast on Saturday, and I'm already looking forward to my children's party in June, which will also be a breakfast party. Can't get enough of that Baked French Toast! ;) 

Party on! 

Best Coffee Cake. Ever. (See how it has been mangled by the desperate, hungry hands?)

Quick Quiche (eggs, bacon, cheese, onion - you can't go wrong)

Baked French Toast (throw some syrup on your serving and it is heavenly!)

Carrot Cake Supreme

It was my husband's birthday on Monday, but because of my niece's birth early that morning (welcome, Magdelaina Grace!!!), his birthday dinner at my parents' house was postponed. My mom makes each of her children (whether by birth or marriage) dinner of their choice every year for their birthday. Shawn always picks something Italian, and my mom never disappoints. For a WASP, she's a darn good Italian cook. 

Besides always picking something Italian, Shawn also has the exact same cake every year. Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. When we were first married, I was a bit intimidated by the prospect of finding a carrot cake that would live up to birthday expectations. I mean, it's carrot cake. Not most people's favorite. 

Fortunately, after some searching, I found this recipe for Carrot Cake Supreme. I chose it because it looked easy and sounded good. I was not disappointed!!! I have altered the recipe very slightly from the original by decreasing the oil and adding in coconut, and it definitely lightens the cake (in a good way!) and adds nice texture. Shawn loves it every time. I have also made cupcakes with this recipe and it works well. You could add chopped walnuts if you desire, but my family does not believe nuts belong in baked goods. :) 


Carrot Cake Supreme

3 cups grated carrots (I also use matchstick carrots in the produce section, and it turns out fine; one bag is enough)
2 cups flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 8 oz can of crushed pineapple, with juice
1/2 cup sweetened flake coconut (you can decrease or increase this, depending on how much you like coconut)
2 tsp vanilla extract 


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix carrots, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Add in eggs, oil, pineapple, vanilla extract, and coconut. Pour into a greased 9"x13" pan. Bake for 35 - 45 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow cake to cool completely before frosting. 
Frost with cream cheese frosting (recipe follows) and top with coconut. 

Cream Cheese Frosting

3 1/2 c. confectioner's sugar
1 8 oz. block of cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 tsp. vanilla

Blend together until you reach spreadable consistency. 


It's amazing!! This is the one time of year I eat carrot cake (because if there's chocolate around, why would I eat carrot cake?), and it doesn't disappoint me. Plus, it's so easy! I actually enjoy making this cake because I know it's going to be a success and make Shawn very, very happy. 

Here is a picture of the cake below, in all its deliciousness:

Just Say No to Resolutions

Happy New Year!

Well, it's January 7th, so technically, I'm a little late. But it's the thought that counts. :) 

It is so interesting to see how, as soon as December 27th hits, so do the resolution commercials. Diet plans, gym memberships, exercise equipment. Even department stores have sales on workout clothes. It seems like everyone is looking over the past year and deciding how they can improve themselves over the next one. 

Usually, this is me. I grab me a spiral notebook (I LOVE spiral notebooks!) and a nice pen and I start listing. I can think of many, many things that I want to change or accomplish or begin, and I put them all down. 

And then? Nothing. I don't do them. I wish I could say that this only happened one or two years, but it doesn't. It happens every year. It never changed anything, though. Every year, around the 30th of December, I would still grab that spiral notebook and start listing my resolutions. 

But this year, for whatever reason, when the end of December creeped up, I had no desire to make a resolution. Not even one. I didn't want to make one about losing weight or eating better or exercising. Not one about reading one or two or ten books a month. Not one about organization or implementation or fascination. Nothing. 

And oddly enough? I feel great. Think about it: resolutions equal pressure. Suddenly, on January 1st, you have committed yourself to starting all of these new things all at the same time. Big life changes, done simultaneously, often do not often yield great results. I know I suddenly feel very overwhelmed, and if I miss a day or slip up in some way, I feel great disappointment. How can I possibly make real change if I have already messed up after a day or two? But this year, I have a few ideas for things I want to do floating around in my mind, and I'm happy with that. They are changes I can implement when the time is right and the opportunity presents itself. No pressure. 

So say no to resolutions this year. Change without pressure. 

Happy New Year!!

Christmas at the "Homestead"

Christmas is my favorite time of year. 

It's almost an obsession, really. When Edmund Gwen says, "Christmas isn't just a day; it's a frame of mind" in Miracle on 34th Street (1947), that is exactly how I feel. A person's attitude toward Christmas is a reflection of who they are as a person: how they live, what they value, what kind of relationships they have. 

Perhaps that seems extreme. But I know that, growing up, Christmas was an incredibly special, almost sacred, time in our house and it revolved around die-hard traditions and family time. In my mind, it's absolute perfection: fire in the woodstove; the vintage red Christmas ball from my dad's grandmother hanging from the light in the kitchen (why did my mom hang it there? I don't know; she just always did); Christmas tree lights from the 1950s encircling our Douglas Fir; my family all warm and cozy inside our house, listening to The Carpenters Christmas Portrait while snow falls outside; my sister and my father and I concocting ideas to capture Santa on Christmas Eve, which always failed (my dad usually "fell asleep" and missed Santa's arrival); baking cookies with my mother...so many more. For us, Christmas was a time of year that we held close to ourselves and our family and the holiday season was a painfully long wait every year. 

As an adult, there are certain traditions that we have also established in my own home with my own husband and children. On the first Saturday in December, we travel with my parents, sister, and brother-in-law to Salem, NY to see Santa Claus; Allie and I baked sugar cookies together; Shawn and I have an ornament that we put on the tree together and we have done this since our first married Christmas; I read Allie a story every night out of the Advent Storybook and she opens the door on the Advent calendar; Shawn gets out our record player and we play Christmas records throughout the season; we hang our stockings and garlands in the same places. 

However, this year, I did something that I have never done before. I left some of our decorations in the box. Just left them there. Some of the things that didn't really fit with what I wanted to do. Or that I liked, but couldn't find a spot for. Or that I didn't like. After I undecorated (is that a word? I'm making it a word) and reorganized, I found out that I had kept back an entire tote's worth of decorations this year. And it was a surprisingly delightful experience. 

The house felt more festive, oddly enough, without everything being mish-mashed. The decorations that were up stood out more and stood on their own. I have a few carolers that I am in love with, as well as a couple of cardboard Christmas houses that I am also in love with. By displaying them together in a simple way on top of the piano, they had much more impact than when I used to cram another, random house and another, random church up there with them. We have a few different figurines that have been gifts, and while they are cute and I like them, I didn't have anywhere to put them where they would have been undisturbed by children's fingers. So I didn't display them. And I didn't miss them at all. In fact, before I opened up the totes to undecorate, I could only remember one item that I had left back. 

So, how does this all connect back to our Christmas at the "Homestead?" Simplicity. We tried to simplify. We continued the tradition of foregoing gifts with my parents, sister, and brother-in-law and instead we will go on a day trip as a family to make a memory we can always keep instead of a gift we'll soon forget. We stuck with "something you want, something you need, something to wear, and something to read" with our children and instead of ending up with a house full of new toys that we don't have room for and that our children cannot possibly play with, they have a few things that get some attention. We made Allie and Mac their big gift: a fold-up tent that they can use in the living room as a fort (find the tutorial we used here). I even made less for Christmas breakfast, opting instead for a few ready-made items, bacon, scrambled eggs and fresh fruit instead of several casseroles. (Honestly, though, I'll probably go back to the casseroles next year, as I missed having all of that hot food.) But, generally, it was a great Christmas. Instead of the season flying by and feeling like it was a whirlwind of shopping, wrapping, prepping, and parties, we enjoyed it and actually felt each day. For our children, we tried to keep the focus off the presents and on the family. It was probably easier now, as they are only 3 1/2 and 18 months, but I am hoping for that continuation even as they age. Overall, it was a beautiful Christmas season, despite not enough snow for my taste. 

I am already thinking of the upcoming Christmas season, a mere eleven months away. One thing I have done already is to create a Christmas season "schedule." I use this word cautiously, as nothing is set in stone. It's more of an outline of what I want to do and when I want to do it. I did feel like I missed out on a couple of things with Allie (like making gingerbread men) and I want to make sure that next year, when she is 4 1/2 and starting to make permanent memories, I don't miss anything. Plus, there were times this year when, despite the simplicity, I felt a little rushed or felt like I was forgetting something. So, hopefully, this "schedule" will really create a sense of calm and organization during a time that can often get a bit harried. 

Praying that you all had a blessed Christmas season!